The district attorney said Bookstaver, a Mercy College student, was hit in the face by a shot from one of the rifles around 4:20 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene. Gaulin’s attorney said the shooting was “a tragic accident.”

A woman identified as Bookstaver’s grandmother said shortly after the shooting that she believed the incident was just a terrible accident. She said Bookstaver and Gaulin knew gun safety.

Gaulin is being held on $50,000 bail. He faces a maximum sentence of 5 to 15 years in prison if convicted.